Apple’s keyboard, trackpad, and mouse still have Lightning ports
Apple’s keyboard, trackpad, and mouse still have Lightning ports
That’s right: despite finally bringing the iPhone over to the world of USB-C, Apple still only sells its Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse with Lightning ports. Also, you still have to charge the Magic Mouse from the bottom in 2023.
It makes all the sense in the world to move these devices to USB-C. My bet is that they still have stock/parts to clear out, and we'll see a USB-C refresh like we did with the AirPods Pro 2. As far as the mouse design goes, they must be selling these mice like crazy to continue to sell the dumbest mouse charging design for 8 years running. Otherwise, maybe they want to completely redesign the mouse and they just aren't ready to release it yet.
The moment apple releases a mouse that can be used while charging, it will be impossible to even resell the current model.
Cook is going to let the Christmas rush flush as much of the channel out as possible and then rev the accessories in the spring.
The first iteration of the mouse used regular (or rechargeable ) AA (or was it AAA?) batteries. I still have that mouse, but lost the battery cover.
It's a really nice mouse, sleek, super portable, and I never use mine.
I have the trackpad (general productivity, day to day use), a Logitech MX Anywhere 3S (engineering drawings and other editing that flows better with a mouse), and the MX Master 3 (all of the above, best productivity mouse I've ever used).
My preferred mouse is the MX Master which stays at the home office and flips between devices. The trackpad stays at my work office, and the MX Anywhere travels with me. The Magic Mouse simply doesn't have enough utility for anything I'm doing.
If they are charged through those ports, they can not keep them. Period. They might think they can get away with it, but they can't. Law clearly states that anything battery operated must use type C for charging.
Didn't it say "launched"? So you can continue to sell an older design. The same reason apple are selling the iPhone 14 still without issues.
That's probably the catch. This law comes into power 2024. Things that are being sold now can still be sold.
Will be funny when they don't allow them in for import anymore.
Starting 2024.
Let's see in a couple of months. I'm on Apple France and the magic mouse is for sale (85 frigging Euros, are you kidding me?). With lightning.
I’m convinced people that use Apple products don’t care that much about which connector is used, it’s mostly non Apple users that have a hard on about fighting the man. People in the ecosystem already have a lightning cable, those entering it will likely get one with their device, just like you get a USB-C with a non Apple devices. I get the need to standardize, but the amount of coverage and passion it gets seems so silly.
You are describing me. I don’t give 2 fuck about the type c changing port, I have a ton of good lighting cable. Also plug-in a lighting cable is more satisfy than a type c, it has that click-sound when I plug in.
I like that my new phone has USB-C, but yeah, I basically have a bunch of perfectly good lightning cables, some of them more than 10 years old, that are now e-waste. We spent $100 buying new cables, because we didn't have enough to cover all the places we normally stash chargers away for convenience (cars, couch, home office, etc.)
It's definitely better in the long run, but this felt more like ripping off a bandaid. The bigger deal for me is 10gbps speeds letting me shoot pro res footage straight to an attached SSD, but this is a pretty niche use case.
We spent $100 buying new cables, because we didn't have enough to cover all the places we normally stash chargers away for convenience
Now you can join the rest of the world and pay much less for cables and chargers. The $100 was a sunk cost that Apple stole from you. It's gone. Sell the cables with your old phone.
You’re entirely right
I have to do more work to switch from lightning to USB-C because very little to none of my devices use it. More use lightning because I’m already in the Apple ecosystem.
The people I see complaining about it are almost, but not always, android users
Honestly. And the same people complaining about e-waste are the same people who want an accessory to switch cables.
Over the long term, unifying cables reduces e-waste. In the short term it does not.
Someone who uses Apple products chiming in, you're right on. I have a magic keyboard which I occasionally use with my iMac (although I've been using Logitech's peripherals more recently and been extremely happy) and if I put the politics of it all beside me, I don't care. I'll just grab my lightning cable to charge up my keyboard once a month.
That EU ruling saved the world they don’t even know. Because if left to companies, well waves broadly at Silicon Valley
Kill Lightning. Kill USBA. Kill DC plugs once and for all.
I was gobsmacked last week to see my colleague open a brand new Amazon Dot thing ($20AUD smart speaker) and see it with a barrel jack. Really?
That’s so upsetting. I’d love to replace my Magic Trackpad for one without a lightning port but for some reason they don’t refresh their peripherals.
Why, though? If you already have it and it’s already hooked up to a lightning cable you already have, what would a refresh get you?
There’s a bit of comfort in only ever needing one type of cable, I guess, but I’m not sure it outweighs the hassle for me.
The battery in the Trackpad is also slowly dying and it appears to be a glue sandwich, so there’s no easy way to replace it. So whenever I gotta charge it every few weeks, I need to dig up my lightning cable just for that. I’d prefer to replace the Trackpad entirely, especially if a new generation offers more features or other hardware advantages.
It wasn't just about comfort; it was for standardisation. Having a proprietary interface opens up the threat for gouging the customer. If everyone uses the same cable then you can buy it anywhere.
I love that this article is three sentences and says it all. The damned charging port on the mouse {SMH}, Apple...good grief.
The bigger problem with the trackpad is the low polling rate. It's fine with a 60hz display but it feels choppy at 120hz (i.e. the native refresh rate of 14" and 16" MBPs). Hopefully the inevitable USB-C version brings this up to par.
Yea, I’m very disappointed that no one has come round yet to convert my devices. Do we have a timeline when this will happen?
It’s gonna be a mix of Lightning and USB-C for a while. Don’t throw out those cables just yet!